Lecture Notes October 24.docx

Oct 24 2011 HistoryPopular democracy Conservative nationalists Tories The Colonial Advocate popular democracy republicans genteel orange lodge welland canal byward market community bee Montgomerys tavern shiner wars provisional government The Rebellions of 18371Introduction leading interpretations of the rebellionsDiscontent expressed through the assembly and increasing discontent expressed through the reform parties that emergedLeading historical interpretation conservative nationalists argued that the rebellions were admirations Rebellions were not part of the normal political revolution of the Canadas nor were they caused by democratic sentiment These rebellions were brought about by lunatics who managed to exploit the foolishness and ignorant people Leader of Upper Canadian rebellion has been portrayed as a hot tempered person and jealous of people better than himself and would do anything for attention and power Other rebels portrayed as mentally unstable and power hungry This is the conservative nationalist interpretation Another interpretation sees rebellion as class conflict between rural farming class and urban business class particularly over the role government should play in society Reformers felt that rural agrarian society had to be reserved and promoted by government Governing elite had an urban merchant mindset So the future progress of colony lay in promoting industries So rebellions stemmed from the two groups who disagreed Argument I intend to say is rebellions of 183738 can best be understood as two things At political level rebellion as an ideological struggle struggle between reformers who favoured democratic institutions and conservative the Tories who favoured status quo Class was also a factor reformed and conservative reformers had different economic interests Level of average person rebellion as a result of deteriorating economic reasons violent nature of society they were living in 2Upper Canada the road to rebellionaWilliam Lyon Mackenzie and the Reform Party 18241837iReformers representing famers and Tories presenting urban disagreed over how power should be divided Reformers favoured democratization and felt government should be responsible to the wishes of the people because only then would wishes of the people would be fulfilled only if assembly